Dear Keith
by Romancedy
Summary: Pen pals? That is so first grade. High School AU. Keith/Lance. Friendship/Hurt/Comfort/Romance. Short Story. WARNING. Very SLOW updates. **UPDATED: 2/23/19**
1. August: Week 1

Dear Keith

* * *

**Disclaimer****:** I do NOT own Voltron!

* * *

Today was the first day, the first week, and the first month back. They all knew that the new year was closing in fast to haunt them, but, of course, they were in denial. Today was the first day of school. Many arrived as the school's new class of fresh meat while the rest returned to endure another year. The freshmen were bundles of nerves, wondering whether they will be able to find their classes, and the upperclassmen stood on the sidelines enjoying watching their lowerclassmen squirm.

A young man rolled his eyes as he passed a freshman boy who struggled to open up his locker.

"Freshmen," he muttered as he continued walking.

"Just know you were just like them, Lance."

Lance's blue eyes slightly widened as he turned his head to look at the owner of the voice. Walking alongside him was a young, scrawny girl. The glasses the girl wore were large moons and her choice of clothes were a simple green turtleneck, beige cargo shorts, and mustard high-tops.

"Ah, Pidge," Lance exclaimed cheerfully as he playfully ruffled the auburn mop on the girl's head. "How've you been?"

If looks could kill, Lance would have been vaporized on the spot. Once Pidge earned a startled reaction from the boy, her stern features softened and she gave him a small smile.

"Matt started college today and I get the whole house to myself for a few days, so life's been sweet."

"Where are your parents?"

"They decided to keep Matt company until he gets himself situated. How about you? Was summer better for you this year?"

The young man groaned from the question, earning a quiet giggle from Pidge.

After a few minutes of catching up, Lance took out his phone to look at the time.

"I've got to run; I have English first hour and I don't want to be late. See you at lunch?"

Pidge gave him a toothy grin and waved him off. The tan boy smiled back and maneuvered through the student-filled halls.

* * *

Lance barely made it. It was trying to get there, but the teenager made it to class a few seconds before the bell rang. Small beads of sweat crawled down the side of his forehead and his heartbeat leaped every second.

_Damn freshmen._

Ignoring the curious stares of his classmates, Lance scanned the room until his eyes landed on a plump boy wearing black headphones. Like Lance, the boy was tan, only a few shades darker. His style was pretty unique. The young man always wore that green vest and orange headband of his; there was never a time Lance saw him without them. The very thought amused him.

Lance walked down the aisle, avoiding the many backpacks that cluttered the floor and took a seat next to the stout male. The boy jumped subtlety and took off his headphones, giving his full undivided attention. When he saw who the person was next to him, he wore a huge smile.

"Lance, buddy! Glad you're here! Was hoping we had at least one class together. How've you been?"

"I've been okay," he said as his eyes wandered around the room. "Summer was boring; you and Pidge were too busy to hang out. What was up with that?"

"Family and work. That is all I can say. Sorry."

Lance rolled his eyes and playfully punched him on the arm. "Don't worry, Hunk. You're forgiven."

"Sorry for the wait, class."

A young teacher, who was at least in his early thirties, walked in with his briefcase in hand. He set down his bag, fixed the collar of his crisp shirt, and clapped his hands together, getting the class' attention.

"Well first off I'd like to say welcome back! You've worked so hard to get this far, but the next step is to graduate. Even though you're nearing the finish line of your high school career, I expect you to keep up the hard work; in other words don't slack off."

The class groaned only to receive a deep chuckle from him.

"Now, now, there will be no whining in my class." He whipped out a small stack of envelopes from his bag and faced his students. "My name is Adam Whittaker, but do call me _Mr._ Whittaker. I will be your English 12 teacher for the remainder of the year.

"Considering you guys just came back from a long summer break I thought we'd do something fun and easy. When I call your name, please raise your hand so I can give you your envelope."

Lance shook his head and lied it on the desk. He let out a sigh and gazed at the clock that hung above the door frame. This was the first class of the day and he already wanted to go home. What was the point of doing work on the first day? He just got back from vacation and the first thing he had to do on his first day back was work.

"Lance? Lance McClain."

The boy was dragged out of his daydream and abruptly sat up, raising his hand.

Mr. Whittaker arched his eyebrow from Lance's odd behavior and handed Lance his envelope.

"Alright, now that everyone has their envelopes I would like you to open them. Inside is a letter from a student who attends a neighboring school. What I want from you is to respond to them. You guys have the whole class period. You may begin."

Lance picked up his envelope and observed it closely. On the face of the envelope was his name written in perfect cursive. Every letter and every curve was exquisite.

He ripped open the envelope and pulled out a wrinkled piece of a paper. He lied the sheet on his desk and tried smoothing it out to get a better look of what was written on it.

* * *

_Dear Lance,_

_I really didn't have a lot to say considering I don't know you, but this is for a grade so what the hell?_

_Who would have thought we'd have to do this pen pal shit in high school? This is so first grade._

_Anyway, let's just get on with it. How was your summer?_

* * *

_No kidding! They were serious when they said they had nothing to say_, Lance thought to himself.

Lance picked up his pen and lightly tapped it on his chin. He looked up at the ceiling, hoping some god out there would help him come up with an answer.

"Oh screw it," he muttered as he began writing whatever came to mind.

* * *

_Dear... Seriously? No name?_

_And why so blunt? This may be for a grade but at least have some fun writing this "first grade shit". Who knows, you might actually enjoy writing these letters._

_How am I not surprised? You are literally the third person who has asked me that. It's annoying actually, but since you asked I might as well give you an answer._

_My summer, like most summers, was boring. Nothing happens here, and my friends were too busy. I don't blame them but still... Also, I had to take extra shifts for the first two months because most of my co-workers used their vacation days. I know I shouldn't complain; I am doing something other than sitting on my ass all day. How about you? Hopefully your summer wasn't too bad._

_Your acquaintance,_

_Lance McClain_

* * *

Lance read over his response and stood up, walking over to his teacher's desk. He placed his letter on Mr. Whittaker's desk and trudged back to his assigned seat, waiting for the dumb class to finally end.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, everyone. I had this story on an alt account and decided today to move it onto my main account. I deleted the other one so not to have two of the same story on this site. I have two more chapters ready to be published, so I might get them out here today. The fourth chapter is on its way, too; I'm still working on it. As the summary states, updates will be slow. I am in college now and I won't have time to write as much as I want to, but knowing me and my updating schedule, updating was never a strength of mine, lol. Anyway, this is an AU, a _high school_ AU, so no "pew, pew's" or "blam, blam's" here. I wish to make a Voltron fic that focuses on all of the action, but I am not comfortable with that sort of setting. YET. I'm all about the romance, fluff, and relationships.

This fic will contain sensitive material later on in the story, but I really don't want to explain what it is because I feel like it will give everything away, you know.

THANK YOU for even clicking and reading this story. All is appreciated. I may not exactly know where the plot is going, but I will try to make this a decent read. Bare with me.


	2. August: Week 3

**Disclaimer****:** I do NOT own Voltron!

* * *

It was only the third week and Lance already had a big project due on the week after. Not only that, he has a math exam in a few hours and was nowhere near prepared. The stressed teenager put his head in his hands and let out a frustrated sigh. Once he was able to finally let out some steam, Lance took out a study guide his teacher gave him and worked on some of the concepts he was struggling with. He decided to get to his English class early where it was quiet enough for him to study.

So much for finding a quiet place. Gradually, students were filing in the classroom, their constant chattering preventing Lance from concentrating. He felt his face flush with agitation and his grip tightened, causing his paper to wrinkle.

Screw it.

The tan boy tossed his notes aside and lied his head on his desk, internally raging.

"Someone please kill me now."

"You alright there, Lance?" Hunk asked as he took his seat next to his friend. "You don't look so good."

Lance slowly turned his head, his horrible mood apparent on his face. His penetrating gaze sent chills crawling down Hunk's spine.

"Um, forget I asked."

Lance let out a quiet "thank you", grateful that there would no longer be any further questions. He knew Hunk was being a good friend and all, but Lance knew he was going to burst at any moment. Exploding at Hunk was the last thing he wanted to do.

The school bell finally rung and Mr. Whittaker entered the class. Just like the first day, he had his briefcase in his hand and a stack of white envelopes tucked under his arm. He stored his briefcase under his desk and then went around the room giving his students their designated envelopes.

Lance sat up after Mr. Whittaker placed the envelope on his desk. Again, Lance's name was addressed with exemplary penmanship. He cracked a small smile, ripping open the envelope after admiring his pen pal's flawless cursive.

* * *

_Dear Lance,_

_My name should not concern you. This pen pal thing is only temporary, I can tell. I remember back in elementary school we had to do something like this. There would only be a few letter exchanges and then the whole routine is forgotten. Also, I don't like giving out my name to total strangers._

_Fun? This is anything but fun._

_Like yours, my summer was nothing but work. I had no special plans, so my job was basically my go-to; it was the only thing that really kept me busy. Not only that, it also kept my mind off of my recent breakup, so I guess I'm kind of grateful for that. I know I shouldn't have mentioned the breakup considering it's my personal business, but I guess I can let you in on that instead of giving you my name. I'd say that's fair, right? All I ask is that you don't feel bad for me. A stranger's pity is the last thing I need._

* * *

Lance groaned after reading his letter. He thought it was unfair that this mystery person refused to give out their name considering they knew his. He understood that his pen pal was apprehensive about sharing their name and that it was possibly trust issues they're dealing with, but Lance couldn't help but feel annoyed about the whole thing.

He shook his head. He knew that he had to be patient. If only he could get his pen pal to open up to him a little more, just maybe he would get their name. It might take some time, but it will be worth it in the end.

Feeling better, Lance's lips curled into a slight smile. He picked up his pen and began writing.

* * *

_Dear No Name,_

_My, aren't you a mysterious one? There's nothing wrong with it; it's just going to be a pain to break you open. Just know that I will get your name. I know you'll tell me it's never gonna happen, but just know that it will... eventually. I have my ways._

_And, by the way, this ain't elementary school. This whole project might last the whole school year, so don't count on it being short-lived. That being the case, you might as well give it up and spare me your name, pal._

_A breakup, huh? That sucks. It sounds like you're handling it well, though. Props to you. I've had a few breakups in the past and I couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that I've been dumped, ha. Well, the first two weren't so bad, but the one last year really got me. I think it's because she was the first girlfriend I've fallen in love with. It's pathetic, I know; I'm a high school guy who thinks he's in love with a high school girl. It's just that she was different from all the other girls I've dated. Not having her by my side made me realize I may never find someone else like her, you know? She made me feel something and I want to experience that feeling again._

_..._

_Sorry about that, I didn't mean to tell you my life story. I'm an open person as you can tell._

_If you don't mind me asking, what happened? With your breakup, I mean? Hope I'm not asking for too much. Whatever you're comfortable with._

_Your acquaintance,_

_Lance McClain_

* * *

Lance set aside his pen and folded his letter into three parts. He turned in his letter and looked over at the clock to check the time. He was astonished when he saw that a tremendous amount of time had passed, but at the same time he had a lot of time left. He smiled, realizing he could use the extra time to cram for his math test. Lance quickly sat in his seat and grabbed for his study guide. He gave the problems another look, but focusing, at the moment, was difficult. The only thing Lance could focus on was his pen pal's next response. Will he actually get a name? Probably not. Maybe he will get them to open up a little in the next letter? Already Lance was growing impatient.

"I guess I'll have to play the waiting game," he told himself as he flipped through the pages of his study guide.

* * *

**A/N**: And here is chapter 2. I apologize if the story starts off slow. I'm trying to pace myself so not to rush through the story. Lance and the "mystery person's" (I'm sure you know because of the title) relationship would be considered a "slow burn." All I hope is that you enjoy the story and bare with me. Goodnight!


	3. September: Week 1

**Disclaimer****:** I do NOT own Voltron!

* * *

August had been a rough ride for Lance. He had to once again get out of that horrible routine of sleeping in and being lazy. School starting up again was a shock to his mind and body, but the tan boy was gradually adjusting to his new schedule.

After his first math test, in which he received a C in, Lance knew he had to get his act together. Of course he didn't fail miserably, but he knew he could have done better. It was his senior year and he knew he had to finish his last year of high school on a high note.

Now September, it was a new month, and with a new month came a fresh start. Lance focused on paying more attention in class and he vowed to get all his work done.

Lance entered the school, feeling gold and relaxed. He had caught up with this week's homework and got the studying he needed done. The week ahead of him might have less of a workload because it was homecoming week. Homework usually wasn't assigned on homecoming week because students were too concerned with who was going with whom and who was going to wear what. Nothing would get done.

Picking up a flier, Lance walked to an empty bench and sat down, setting his backpack aside. He quickly skimmed the small handout. "Under the Sea" theme. How typical. Lance wanted to go but...

"Who will I go with?" He asked out loud.

He could attend the event with Hunk and Pidge, but the duo was always apprehensive about big social events. Or the tan boy can go solo. Solo didn't sound too exciting, but no one would be there to slow him down.

A cheerful laugh pulled Lance away from his own thoughts. He tore his eyes away from the paper in his hand and looked up. Standing there several feet in front of him was his ex-girlfriend. Her long white hair softly bounced as she laughed and her eyes would sparkle as she got more engaged with the conversation. She was beautiful. She always was.

Ever since Lance mentioned his ex-girlfriend in his last letter, he couldn't force her out of his mind. It hasn't been long since their breakup, so Lance's feelings for his ex still lingered. Past memories of their time together were forever branded in his mind. Forgetting her and what they had was difficult. He didn't want to forget about her.

He looked at the flier in his hand and then back at his ex-girlfriend.

"Maybe..."

Before he realized it, Lance was up on his feet. His heartbeat mercilessly sped up and his cheeks began to flush. He knew it was risky to confront an old flame and ask her to be his date to homecoming, but Lance's conflicted feelings got the best of him.

Legs like jelly, Lance casually strolled over to the girl.

"Allura, hey," the boy greeted. His voice was smooth and relaxed, but it was evident he was nervous and uncomfortable.

"Lance," her voice accented his name. "It has been awhile. How have you been?" He could tell in her voice that she was not comfortable either.

"I've been good." There was a moment of silence between them. "Uh, I wanted to ask you..."

"Oh, what is it?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He just stood there like a complete idiot and he knew it.

"Are you okay?" Allura asked as she shifted uncomfortably.

"You know what, never mind. Have a good day."

Lance quickly turned on his heel, grabbed his backpack off the bench, and walked to class, leaving Allura utterly confused.

* * *

Lance was resting his chin in his hand and was quietly tapping his fingers on his desk. He knew he made things worse after leaving her like that. As soon as he looked her in the eye, he forgot how to talk. He talked to her before, but why was it so hard to talk to her now? Oh right. They broke up. Of course it would be difficult. They hadn't had a casual conversation after the breakup, so what made Lance think it would be easy?

"_Estupido, estupido, estupido..._" He cursed at himself in Spanish.

Unbeknownst to Lance, a few students and Mr. Whittaker heard him.

"Lance, please be quiet and finish your letter. We need to start class soon and we will not be waiting on you."

He completely forgot about the letter. Hell, he didn't even open the envelope.

"Yeah, yeah," he said as he tore open the small casing.

* * *

_Dear Lance,_

_I already know how annoying that pet name is going to be... Why is it so important you know my name? I don't know you and you don't know me. We attend different schools so it's not like we'll become friends or anything like that. Why can't we just make this anonymous? Just give it a rest, McClain._

_Now, in all seriousness..._

_I'm not really good at this. Consoling someone is not a strength of mine, but all I will say is this: you will feel love again. It could be with someone else or it could be with your ex; not all old flames are completely extinguished. Just don't count on the latter of the two happening. You guys broke up for a reason, right? Why get back with someone when you know that there was a problem in the first place? It'll just make the both of you miserable. It's true you will never forget your first love, but at least try to move on. It will only help you heal. I guess what I'm trying to say is to not worry. Your time will come eventually. Someone out there right now is waiting for you. You just have yet to find them._

_I'm not all about giving you the details, but I didn't say you couldn't ask about it either. After all, I did mention my breakup in the first place. Also, you told me something that was personal, it's only fair I share something in return._

_Only if what you said was true. My breakup hurt more than anything. Just like how you felt about your ex-girlfriend, my ex-boyfriend was who I considered my first love. Like most couples we had our similarities and we had our differences, but together we did our best to put our differences aside. We dated for two years and then I broke it off over the summer. He was too careless and what he did was unforgivable, but not all of it was his fault. I let it happen and I had the power to stop it._

_I know what I'm saying is vague, but like I said, I don't want to give out all the details. I'm sure you understand. Unlike you I'm not an open person. Hopefully I somewhat answered your question, though._

* * *

_Dear No Name,_

_I know the name will annoy you, that's why I'm using it. I'm trying to get you to tell me your name. If you just tell me, I'll stop with the pet name. It's as easy as that. Also, I don't want this to be anonymous. Yes, we are strangers, and yes, we are in different schools, but I still want to know who you are. I don't want to address you as "No Name" forever, but you gave me no other choice. Just give in already. The purpose of this thing is to get to know the other person. Let me get to know you._

_Thank you for trying to cheer me up, even though you suck at it, ha. Just kidding, you tried your best. What you say is true; I guess the universe is telling me that I'm meant to be with someone else, wherever she is. I just need to be patient is all. If it happens to be with my ex, I'll know. Now is just not the time, I guess._

_What I said was insensitive of me. I shouldn't have assumed that you were fine after your break up, especially since I have no idea what happened. And it's fine you don't want to share. I'm not going to force you. Share what you want and when you want. It's okay to open up, but take your time doing so._

_Anyway, let's change the subject. I don't want our letters to get any more depressing._

_1.) What is your favorite color?_

_2.) What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?_

_3.) What superpower would you like to have and why?_

_4.) Are you going to homecoming?_

_Can't wait to see your answers!_

_Your pen pal,_

_Lance_

* * *

**A/N****:** Thank you so much for the support! I hope you're enjoying it so far. :)


	4. September: Week 2

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Voltron!

* * *

_Dear Lance,_

_I'm assuming you're not going to give up. I like how you contradicted yourself in the last letter; you told me to take my time "opening up" to you, but here you are refusing to accept the fact that I don't want to give you my name._

_..._

_Here, let's do this. Starting with this letter, I will give you the first letter of my name. You will be rewarded with another letter as long as you don't ask for my name in any of your responses, _including _this one. Got it? If you screw up, then you will have to wait until our next conversation to redeem yourself._

_K. That is the first letter. Good luck getting the rest._

_Anyway, don't worry, you didn't offend me or anything like that. I did come off as nonchalant, so it's fine. And thank you for not prying your way into my personal business. You may be annoying, but you are very considerate._

_Don't let what I just said get into your head. You are still annoying._

_To answer your questions..._

_1.) My favorite color is red._

_2.) My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla._

_3.) I would like the power to control time. With a power like that, I can fix what is broken._

_And 4.) I am not going to homecoming. I have work and I don't plan on skipping it for a dance._

_What about you?_

* * *

Lance's eyes widened as he let out a loud gasp. When he realized that Mr. Whittaker and the entire class were glaring at him, the boy shrunk back in his seat and uttered a quiet apology.

He couldn't believe it. He got his pen pal to finally crack. Revealing the first letter of their name wasn't much, but it was a sign of progress. Lance smiled as he gazed at the beautiful letter on the paper.

_K. I wonder what her name is? Kathrine? Katrina? Kaylee? Man, I want to know._

Lance read over the rules once more and gave a slight nod. He could do this. All he needed to do was keep his big mouth shut and not slip up.

* * *

_Dear_ _No Name,_

_Wait._

_Dear K,_

_Yeah, that sounds more like it. Now that I have the first letter of your name, you will now be referred to as K!_

_If you really think about it, I am giving you time to open up. Never have I forced you to tell me anything; all I did was ask a question and you willingly answered. Also, I only asked for your name, which is harmless, mind you. Speaking of your name, I'm going to win this little game of yours, just you watch._

_I'm not annoying! Rude._

_I'm glad what I said didn't offend you; I was afraid I may have said something I shouldn't have and ruin a potential friendship? I don't know. I have this habit of speaking before thinking and it never ends well for me, but it's nice to see that it hasn't scared you off. _Yet.

_Your favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla? Out of all the flavors, your favorite flavor is vanilla? Please tell me you've tried other flavors._

_Why is it that in every exchange our conversations become depressing? Anyway, what's broken that you want fixed? Is it your relationship with your ex-boyfriend? You said he did something unforgivable. If that's the case, you shouldn't have to worry about him._ _Unless it's something else?_

_You're not going to homecoming? I'm actually not at all surprised; you seem to be the one who goes MIA when it comes to social events. No offense._

_..._

_1.) My favorite color is blue. It reminds me of the ocean back in Cuba, where I used to live before coming here. I love the ocean. People don't realize how beautiful and vast it really is, you know? It was also my escape when my days weren't so bright. Once I hit the water, all of my worries washed away._

_2.)_ _My favorite flavor of ice cream would have to be sherbert because of how sweet it tastes. Its fruitiness is what makes it worthwhile along with the many colors it comes in. I suggest you try it, I think you'd like it._

_3.) If I had to be honest, I would have gone for time control as well. There were incidents in my life I would want fixed and incidents I would want avoided._

_4.) Unlike YOU, I'm going to homecoming. It's my senior year and I might as well enjoy my last one. I'm thinking about going alone because my friends usually do their own thing when it comes to homecoming, but I might drag them along. Last week I was going to ask my ex to be my date, but I chickened out at the last second. Do you think it would be okay for me to ask her to go? As friends? Your honest opinion please._

_Your pen pal,_

_Lance_

* * *

**A/N:** I apologize for a very short chapter.

As you can see, there was little to no interaction between characters. I promise the next chapter will contain more character interaction. This chapter sets up what is about to come in the next chapter. All I hope is that you enjoyed it and look forward for the next one. Thank you for reading and I hope to get the next chapter out soon!

**P.S.** Lance's response to his pen pal's favorite ice cream flavor came from a Klance video I watched by **Cross Connect Cosplay** on YouTube. Their content is great-they do Klance skits along with other fandoms. If you would like a good laugh, I recommend watching some of their videos. :)

**P.P.S.** Lance is thinking his pen pal is female because they mentioned the "ex-boyfriend." That is why he listed girl names. His mistake. It's not like he knows, lol.


End file.
